Christmas Swans Swim Their Way to Pricier 2003
Holiday

That’s because the cost for those three elements of
the
holiday classic, “The Twelve Days of
Christmas.”
shot up this year, bumping up the
PNC Advisors Christmas Price Index
total price tag for the 364 items this season to $65,264 –
an increase of almost 19% from 2002.

According to the yearly tongue-in-cheek analysis from
PNC Advisors, the s
even swans-a-swimming this year will fetch a pricey
$3,500 this season, up from last year’s $2,100 – a 67%
jump. Unlike 2002, when swans took a significant dive
in price, these graceful feathered friends have bounced
back to their 2001 level of $500 a piece, up from $300 last
year, according to the Philadelphia Zoo.

Meanwhile, arranging for 11 pipers to be piping will set
you back $1,982.40 this year – a hefty 22.8% jump over last
year and the ticket for 12 drummers to be drumming
skyrocketed to $2,147.60 – up 22.8% over last year. The
Index bottom line was particularly hard hit by a 16% hike
in skilled labor costs, PNC said.

Then there were t
he four calling birds that were also flying high
at $400, more than a 26% increase from last year.
All told, the swans, geese, calling birds,
French hens, turtle doves, and partridges cost over $4,100,
representing about 25% of the overall Index.

“The bird prices tend to be stable, except when
supply and demand get out of sync, causing the prices to
move dramatically,” said Rebekah McCahan, investment
strategist who provides the research for the Christmas
Price Index. “The low inventory of calling birds and
swans this year, combined with a resurgence in demand,
has boosted prices – a sign of consumer confidence
returning,” she added.

But not everything shot up in price this year. Indeed,
the cost of the five gold rings dropped by 5.6%, and the
pear tree was down a full 28.6% from 2002.

Finally, Internet surfers should beware. To buy
everything in the song on the Web cost$101,206.09
this year.
As
in the past, most items are more expensive primarily
due to the increased shipping costs.